Love The Way You Lie
by I Caught Myself
Summary: Sequel to 'Teenage Dream', set after 'Tales of Suspense'. Tony knows that Gene is the Mandarin, and Gene knows that Tony is Iron Man. How long can they pursue their secret relationship?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Iron Man Armoured Adventures or any lines taken from Katy Perry's song called 'Teenage Dream' – the inspiration for this fic.**

**Summary:**** Sequel to 'Teenage Dream', set after 'Tales of Suspense'. Tony knows that Gene is the Mandarin, and Gene knows that Tony is Iron Man. How long can they pursue their secret relationship?**

**Rating:**** M**

**Warnings:**** Slash, smut, swearing, mild violence. Contains spoilers for most of the series.**

**Love The Way You Lie**

**Chapter 1:**

Gene was the Mandarin. Pepper was heartbroken. Rhodey was gloating – he knew there had been something bad about Gene – he had been telling them for ages, and was now in 'I told you so' mode, like usual. Tony was... he didn't know what he was. He felt so betrayed by Gene. He thought they were friends, but it turned out Gene was evil. In fact, he thought that he and Gene were something more. The lingering glances, the winking, the whispered comments when no-one else was around, the sex... It made him feel sick.

... Tony punched the wall and watched it crack under the force of his Iron Man suit, which was still badly damaged from his fight with Gene. He had to do something to get rid of all of the anger that was building up inside him. He had exploded at Rhodey earlier, and now the other teen was staying clear of him. Pepper hadn't been around much after the incident. She had been avoiding Tony and Rhodey, keeping herself to herself, which Tony understood perfectly – she had fallen for Gene just as easily as he had. There was only one way he could think of to get rid of his anger – finding Gene and confronting him. It meant that he would be able to question Gene and find out why. He would also be able to let himself go and tell Gene what he thought of him... he might even be able to hurt him... and then Gene might tell him the location of his father.

Tony left the Rhodes' house and sped across New York. The best place to start would be the antique shop that Gene's stepfather had owned and still did. As far as Tony knew, they hadn't moved yet, and weren't planning to... which was extremely stupid of Gene, especially if he continued at the Tomorrow Academy. Both him and Rhodey would make sure his life was hell, and it was likely Pepper would too. No, Gene probably wouldn't be stupid enough to do that.

The problem was that the FBI couldn't get any proof that Gene was the Mandarin and a criminal. Tony, Rhodey and Pepper had gone to see them, but Pepper's dad had just banned her from his office... again, and called Roberta to take Tony and Rhodey home. If Tony wanted to take him out, it would have to be alone. It was too dangerous for everyone else. No FBI. No Rhodey. No Pepper. Just him and Gene... Tony shook his head. He wasn't Gene. He was the Mandarin.

There was one thing about this that made Tony slightly happy inside. He still had friends. Gene didn't have anyone at all, not even his step-father, who may or may not have been killed by Rhodey – Tony didn't really want to know the truth in all honesty. Sometimes, it was better not knowing. It had been better not knowing about Gene... or at least the truth about him.

The really sickening thing was Gene had sacrificed himself to save Pepper, which had led to him finding the fifth ring and revealing his true identity. If he had died when the dragon had attacked them, things would be different and they would've worked out his identity after he had died. Maybe it wouldn't have hurt so much if things had been like that, or maybe they would've assumed the Mandarin had just disappeared, never knowing that Gene had been the Mandarin. Maybe it would've been better for them all.

xXx

Gene was sitting in his step-father's abandoned shop, still wearing the Mandarin armour. He didn't know if Zhang was dead, and he didn't care. That man had killed his mother and stolen his birthright. He had got what he deserved, even if it wasn't himself that had killed Zhang. The one regret Gene had was that he was now alone. There was no-one. Tony, Rhodey and Pepper would never be friends with him in this world or the next, no matter how much he apologised or if he helped Tony find his dad. He wouldn't anyway. The power of the rings had consumed him. They were his birthright. They were his destiny... no-one else's.

He looked up when he heard the shop door open, and Iron Man walked in – to be more precise – Tony Stark walked in, wearing the Iron Man suit. Gene took off his rings, reverting back to his usual clothes, and got down on the floor on his hands and knees. He hid behind a huge, beautifully decorated vase that was almost as big as him. Maybe if Tony saw that no-one was in, he would leave. The only thing Gene wanted to see right now was Tony Stark walking out of his shop, and walking out of his life.

Gene had thought that he could've got somewhere with Tony. They had been close... they had been in a relationship.

He could hear Tony walking around the shop, his armour clanking as he walked. Gene hesitated. Tony wouldn't be able to kill him, even after everything he had done. Tony was too good for something like that... or so Gene hoped. He took a deep breath and got to his feet, clutching the five Makluan rings in one hand.

Tony's scanners picked up the movement and he turned around, facing Gene. He felt his breath catch in his throat as he stared at the other teen, all of the old feelings rushing back. Gene slowly held out the Makluan rings and dropped them to the floor without taking his eyes off Tony in his Iron Man suit.

Tony opened his helmet, his facial expression neutral. He wasn't sure what to think right now.

"You're still here." Tony said, fighting to keep his voice controlled.

"Where else would I go?" Gene asked. "And why do I need to leave? I haven't done anything wrong."

"You blew up my father's jet and kidnapped him." Tony growled, flexing his fingers.

"I haven't done anything wrong that you can prove." Gene corrected, glancing down at the Makluan rings on the floor.

He had a point there.

"Why did you drop them on the floor?" Tony asked.

"To show you that I'm not armed. Take off your suit so we can talk." Gene replied, kicking the rings away from him. "And don't worry, the Tong are gone. They didn't see any reason in staying after Zhang's disappearance. They don't listen to me, even if I am the Mandarin and now their leader."

"Maybe they've got trust issues with you. I can name a few other people that do." Tony spat.

"This is why I want you to take the armour off." Gene said. "So you don't get mad and kill me. If you did, you would regret it for the rest of your life. I know you, Tony. You can't kill."

Tony moved quick as lightning and pinned Gene against the wall, one hand tightening around Gene's neck, the other balled into a fast, held back, ready to punch with. He was still wearing his Iron Man suit, and he knew that he could crush Gene without a second thought if he _really_ wanted to.

Gene's eyes widened in surprise, and for a few seconds he actually looked _scared_. His expression returned to his usual steely gaze as he stared into Tony's eyes, knowing that Tony wouldn't be able to kill him, no matter how strong his hatred was at that moment in time. Tony's grip loosened slightly and Gene slowly raised one of his hands, placing it on the top of Tony's arm. He carefully traced some of the cracks in the armour from their battle in the temple. Tony slammed his fist into the wall beside Gene's head, watching it crack from the impact.

"Thanks for that." Tony grunted, his grip slackening even more. "It's going to take me ages to repair."

Gene's fingers travelled further up his arm, to his shoulder and then to his neck. He trailed his fingertips over Tony's cheek and stared into Tony's eyes, trying to decode the mixed emotions he was feeling.

"I'm sorry." Gene whispered, because standing this close and talking sounded like shouting. He let his arm drop to his side. "I'm sorry for everything."

"Everything?" Tony asked, his expression pained.

"I'm not sorry about my feelings for you, Tony." Gene insisted. "They were real, even if nothing else was."

"Oh." Tony blushed, still trying to look mad. He released Gene from his grip and took his armour off, piling it up in the corner of the shop. "Let's settle it here."

"Settle it?" Gene raised an eyebrow.

"I'll fight you without my armour, and you fight me without your rings." Tony declared, taking off his shoes. "We'll make it fair. If I win, you tell me where my father is."

"If I win, I want you to stop trying to take me down." Gene said, kicking his shoes off and to the side. "Just leave me alone."

"Deal." Tony held out his hand to Gene. Gene shook Tony's hand, and then brought his other hand around in a left hook.

He punched Tony in the face, and Tony kicked out at him, his foot making contact with Gene's stomach. Gene stumbled backwards slightly, winded by the kick. Tony grabbed Gene by the front of his shirt and punched him. Gene looked up, wiping blood from his split lip.

Gene slammed Tony against the wall, running his hands up Tony's t-shirt and kissing him violently, biting down on his bottom lip, drawing blood. This action took Tony by surprise – he thought they were going to be fighting, not... this. Tony used the wall as support and wrapped his legs around Gene's waist, grinding against him. Gene slammed Tony against the wall again, stunning him slightly. Gene used this opportunity to grip Tony's thighs with his hands and push Tony even harder against the wall, forcing his tongue into Tony's mouth.

Tony groaned and grabbed the hem of Gene's top, tugging it upwards, revealing a smooth, well-muscled torso adorned with bruises from their fight in Peru, after Gene had obtained all five rings. They broke their kiss for an instant, giving Tony a chance to pull Gene's top off. Tony crushed their mouths together again, grabbing fistfuls of Gene's hair.

Gene pushed himself harder against Tony, who untangled his hands from Gene's hair to pull his own t-shirt off over his head. He threw it somewhere in the shop and took a deep breath before kissing Gene again.

Gene pulled Tony away from the wall, still kissing him and slammed him against another wall, knocking over some vases. Neither Gene nor Tony paid any attention to the vases when they smashed, no matter how old and expensive they might be. Gene picked Tony up again and carried him over to the stairs, before he lost his balance, falling on top of Tony.

Tony winced when the small of his back was hit by one of the stairs and Gene landed on top of him, then clambered off. Gene was kneeling between Tony's legs, whilst Tony was flat on his back, or so to speak, laying on the stairs. Gene tugged at the front of Tony's jeans, fumbling with the fastenings. Gene undid Tony's jeans and Tony lifted his hips, enabling Gene to pull his jeans off.

Gene half tore, half pulled Tony's jeans from his body and threw them behind him somewhere. He pulled Tony's boxers down and kissed his abdomen, brushing his lips over the sensitive skin, moving downwards as he did. Tony closed his eyes and laid back as Gene took him into his mouth he grunted slightly, his hands going to Gene's hair, as he thrusted into Gene's mouth.

"Gene... oh... hng... come on..." Tony gasped, pushing himself further into Gene's mouth. Gene moaned, the vibrations from his throat sending Tony over the edge. Tony groaned as he released, and Gene swallowed everything. He crawled up Tony's body, kissing every inch he could reach, and his lips met Tony's again.

Tony could taste himself on Gene's lips and tongue as he kissed Gene back and reached down to grope Gene through the trousers that he was still wearing. Gene groaned and pushed Tony away, scrambling to his feet. Tony got to his feet too and ran up the stairs with Gene in hot pursuit.

He flung the door to Gene's bedroom open and ran inside, jumping onto the bed, standing up, taking up a defensive position. Gene followed him into the room and stood on the floor, staring up at Tony.

"Are we back to fighting again now?" Gene asked, folding his arms.

"I don't even know why we stopped." Tony growled.

"Yes you do." Gene said. "We stopped because you don't want to kill me and I don't want to kill you. You love me, and I love you."

"You lied to me!"

"You lied to me too." Gene reminded him.

"I didn't lie to you!" Tony protested. "I just never told you that I'm Iron Man! I kept trying to in Peru, but I kept getting interrupted. You used me so that you could get the rings and I let you walk all over me. I should've made the connection that you were the Mandarin sooner. I should've seen past your lies."

"And what would you have done?" Gene asked. "Would you have killed me then? No. You can't kill me, Tony. You don't kill."

"Watch me." Tony growled, balling his hands into fists.

Gene stepped up onto the bed and grabbed Tony's wrists, pinning his arms to his sides. Tony struggled in Gene's grip and Gene crushed their mouths together, forcing Tony down onto the bed. He pinned Tony down, continuing to kiss him.

Tony could his resolve weakening.

Gene was right. He did love him. He couldn't kill Gene. It was something he would always be unable to do. Gene had proved that the moment he had walked into the shop in his Iron Man armour and not blasted him.

Gene broke away and sighed, staring down at Tony. Tony opened his eyes and stared up at Gene, breathing heavily. They stayed like that few a few moments, just staring at each other and thinking about what they had done to each other, and how they had ended up like this.

"I want this... I want you, Gene." Tony insisted. "Where does this leave us?"

"With more lies." Gene answered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Iron Man Armoured Adventures or any lines taken from Katy Perry's song called 'Teenage Dream' – the inspiration for this fic.**

**Summary:**** Sequel to 'Teenage Dream', set after 'Tales of Suspense'. Tony knows that Gene is the Mandarin, and Gene knows that Tony is Iron Man. How long can they pursue their secret relationship?**

**Rating:**** M**

**Warnings:**** Slash, smut, swearing, mild violence. Contains spoilers for most of the series.**

**Love The Way You Lie**

**Chapter 2:**

"I really should go home..." Tony mumbled, checking his watch. It was 11:00pm. He was laying on his side facing Gene, on Gene's bed. His head was propped up on one elbow, and his other hand was resting in front of him. "It's getting late and Rhodey's mum will worry... and I have school tomorrow."

"School, huh? I don't think that's really a good idea for me..." Gene chuckled. "Come and see me afterwards. I'll be waiting for you. We can talk about your dad."

"Really?" Tony asked, his eyes brightening.

"Yes." Gene replied. "Now get out of here, before someone starts missing you."

"I'll miss you." Tony said.

"I'll miss you too." Gene leant forwards and placed a quick kiss on Tony's lips. "Now go. I'll still be here tomorrow."

"And the day after?"

"If you're lucky." Gene winked.

"If you're not, I will hunt you down."

"I'll hold you to it." Gene said, he kissed Tony again and watched as Tony walked out of the room. Tony went down the stairs to the main shop, gathering up his and Gene's various items of clothing as he went. He pulled his armour back on and spied Gene's Makluan rings on the floor. He was tempted to take them... Tony shook his head and picked up the rings. He walked back up the stairs, to Gene's room.

Gene was now laying on his back with his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. He threw Gene's clothes onto the end of the bed, and held up the rings.

"What do you want me to do with these?" Tony asked, retracting his face mask.

"Oh. Bring them here." Gene said.

"Okay." Tony walked over to him and held the rings above him. Gene held out a hand. "I'll give them to you on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You give me another kiss." Tony grinned.

"Oh, like I've never done that before. This is such a chore." Gene rolled his eyes and pulled Tony down to his level. "Don't stay away, too long? If you take your usual three hour bathroom break, come and see me?"

"I'll try." Tony mumbled and kissed Gene, dropping the rings into his outstretched hand.

xXx

Tony walked into the house after securing his armour in the one wing of the lab that hadn't been destroyed by Zhang and the ninjas – the destroyed lab had taken a lot of explaining to Rhodey's mum. He walked into the living room to get to the kitchen and get a glass of water, when he stopped, spotting Rhodey asleep on the couch.

Tony smiled and walked over to Rhodey and shook him gently.

"Rhodey, wake up."

"Huh? What?" Rhodey asked, his eyes flickering open. He sat up and yawned and stretched. "Dude, what time is it? "Where have you been?"

"It's 11:30." Tony said. "And I was just out, clearing my head. Sorry I didn't tell you, _mum._" Tony grinned cheekily._ "_Why didn't you just go to bed if you were that tired?"

"I was waiting up for you." Rhodey said. "And mum's still out at this dinner thing. I don't know what time she'll be back."

"Rhodey... why aren't you mad at me?" Tony sighed, sitting down on the couch beside him. "We had a huge fight earlier, because of everything that happened with G– When we were in Peru." Tony changed what he was going to say. He didn't think mentioning Gene's name was such a good idea after their previous argument... and because of where he had really been. "I'm sorry about earlier... I just have all this pent up anger and I don't know what to do about it. The only other time I've been this angry was when I found out that my dad made weapons and the whole Crimson Dynamo/Technovore thing."

"I'm not mad at you because there's no point in getting mad. It wouldn't solve anything." Rhodey shrugged. "And you're not to blame for the incident... none of us are. It wasn't our fault. We just..." Rhodey hesitated. "Gene was too good at lying. He deceived all of us. Especially Pepper."

_And me_. Tony thought to himself, but he wasn't going to tell Rhodey about any of that. As far as Rhodey knew, he and Gene had just been friends. "I know... I just wish I hadn't been so taken in." _And so the lies begin._

"Don't we all?" Rhodey asked softly.

"You didn't like him anyway." Tony said, folding his arms.

"I didn't _mind_ him towards the end." Rhodey insisted. "It's just before... well... we never really did get on from the start..." Rhodey hesitated and Tony raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry about it, okay? I'm going to bed now. Are you coming up?"

"Oh. Yeah." Tony said, following Rhodey out of the living room. "School tomorrow. Do we have to go? We've been through hell these past couple of days... I'm just glad it was the weekend."

"Yep. My mum would kill us if we don't go to school – she doesn't know about you being Iron Man and the search for the Makluan rings, remember?"

"I know... but surely she can see something's... not wrong... but... different. Pepper hasn't been anywhere near here since it all happened – she hasn't even called me. Has she called you?" Rhodey shook his head and Tony continued. "And we haven't exactly been acting normal. Did she ask many questions about why the lab exploded?"

"Not really." Rhodey shrugged. "She asked me about it but I told her I was at the library. No-one was here when it exploded and she seemed to believe my alibi. I asked her what the fire brigade had said and she said it was something about a loose connection."

"They didn't mention explosives?"

"Not that she told me." Rhodey said, stopping outside his room. "Make sure you get some sleep tonight, Tony. You've been looking pretty banged up these last couple of days... did you have that cut on your lip before?"

"Huh?" Tony reached up and touched his bottom lip. The cut was from where Gene had bit him. "Oh. Not sure. Probably. I'll see you in the morning."

"Night." Rhodey said, disappearing into his room.

"Goodnight." Tony called as he walked into his room. He sat down on the bed with his head in his hands. _What the hell am I doing?_ The lies were becoming so easy, and he hadn't even been with Gene for a day.

**Yes, I know this chapter was relatively short, but it was a bit of a filler.**

**And OMG Gene was ACTUALLY kinda cute at the beginning :O**

**Review if you get a chance :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Iron Man Armoured Adventures or any lines taken from Katy Perry's song called 'Teenage Dream' – the inspiration for this fic.**

**Summary:**** Sequel to 'Teenage Dream', set after 'Tales of Suspense'. Tony knows that Gene is the Mandarin, and Gene knows that Tony is Iron Man. How long can they pursue their secret relationship?**

**Rating:**** M**

**Warnings:**** Slash, smut, swearing, mild violence. Contains spoilers for most of the series.**

**Love The Way You Lie**

**Chapter 3:**

_"Gene..." Gene's lips hovered over Tony's skin, making Tony arch and moan underneath him. Tony pushed his hips up against Gene's and grabbed a fistful of Gene's hair, pulling his face closer and crushing their mouths together again. Gene's hand traced down Tony's stomach as he deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue into Tony's mouth._

_ "Tony..."_

_ "Tony..._

"TONY!"

Tony sat bolt upright, looking around the room. He sighed with relief when he saw Rhodey standing in the doorway, holding a book he had been about to throw at the other teen to wake him.

"Dude... I was gonna throw this at you if you didn't wake up." Rhodey said, lowering his arm and the book. "Are you okay?"

"I'm... I'm fine." Tony said, running his fingers through his sweat soaked hair. "I just slept through my alarm. I didn't mean to..."

"You sounded like you were having some sort of dream." Rhodey said hesitantly. He didn't really want to address the topic. "You... you were saying 'Gene'..."

"Yeah. It was... a nightmare." Tony lied and rubbed his eyes and groaned. "Why is it so early? Can't we just ditch school? You mum wouldn't know. She's at work, isn't she?"

"Yes, she's at work but – schools do this thing if you don't turn up where they phone your parent or guardian and find out why you aren't there." Rhodey said. "What do you want for breakfast? Toast or cornflakes?"

"Erm... either." Tony said, shaking his head to clear his mind of the echoes of the dream that remained. "Whatever's easiest for you. Can I take a quick shower before we have breakfast?"

"Yeah sure. Yell when you get out and I'll sort it all out for you." Rhodey said, walking out of the Tony's room and heading downstairs.

Tony buried his head in his hands and gritted his teeth in frustration. He was surprised that Rhodey had bought his lie about his dream being a 'nightmare'. The dream and Rhodey had given him a slight feeling of regret... what was he doing with Gene? Sure, he did have feelings for the other teen but was it worth it all in the end? All he wanted with his father back... Tony felt sick. Was he only doing this so that he could get his father back?

No.

He wasn't like that. He wouldn't lie and manipulate his and Gene's relationship just to get his father back.

Or so he hoped.

xXx

"Tony, we've only just arrived." Rhodey scowled as they walked into the main school building. "Will you stop checking your watch? You're acting really suspicious. Is there something going on that I should know about?"

"No... I just have something I need to do afterschool. Don't wait for me." Tony sighed as they walked into the classroom.

"What do you have to do?" Rhodey asked.

"I need to go and see someone to get some parts for some lab stuff." Tony answered.

"Well I'll come with you."

"No!" Tony snapped. He winced when he saw the pained expression on Rhodey's face. "No... I'll probably be there for a while... and I... well... it would be nice to go on my own... It's some parts from one of my dad's old friends. He got into contact with me and told me that he's got some of my dad's stuff and asked me if I wanted to come and take a look."

"Oh. Well... I'll just go home." Rhodey sat down at his desk beside Tony's and leaned over to him. "Any news on your dad?"

"How would I have got news on my dad?" Tony snapped. "The one person who knows where he is betrayed us!"

"Sorry, man... I was just wondering." Rhodey turned away, folding his arms, staring down at the desk.

"Rhodey... I'm sorry I snapped at you." Tony said. "It's just... I don't know where to start. I don't even know if Gene was telling the truth when he said he had my father. I just hope that he does have my father and he hasn't hurt him."

"I know." Rhodey's voice sounded strained.

Pepper walked into the classroom and sat down at a desk as far away from Tony and Rhodey as she could get. Tony watched her sit down – she hadn't been the same since Gene's betrayal. She had really, really, _really_ liked him. Tony felt slightly guilty – he knew Pepper liked Gene and Gene had betrayed them, but... to put it bluntly, he was fucking Gene regardless of everything.

Whitney entered the classroom and sat down in front of Rhodey, turning in her seat to face Tony.

"Why is Pepper sitting all the way over there? Did you guys have a fight with her?" Whitney asked eagerly. It was no secret that she hated Pepper, and it was no secret that Pepper returned the feeling.

"No... it's just some personal stuff. Don't worry about it." Tony said, pulling his books out of his bag.

"Where's Gene?" Whitney asked. "He's always here on time."

Tony saw Pepper flinched at the sound of the traitors name and he winced slightly. His absence brought back painful reminders of Peru. Painful reminders of times before Peru. Painful reminders of last night.

"He's transferred out." Rhodey said coldly. "His step-father moved abroad somewhere for some new business venture. It was really sudden."

"So Gene's gone?" Whitney asked.

"Yes." Tony replied.

"I'm sure I saw him outside his shop this morning."

"Maybe that was him leaving." Rhodey grimaced. He sure hoped so.

xXx

Gene heard a knock on the shop door. He rolled off his bed and walked down the stairs. He unlocked the shop door and opened it. Tony was standing on the doorstep, soaking wet. Apparently it had been raining. He walked into the shop and slammed the door closed behind him. He dropped his schoolbag onto the floor and ran into Gene's arms, pressing his lips against Gene's. Gene's arms went around Tony's waist, pulling him closer and he ran his fingers through Tony's hair.

Tony broke away and stared up at Gene.

"We have to stop this."

"What?" Gene asked.

"We have to stop this." Tony repeated, resting his forehead against Gene's. "I can't keep this secret... I'm lying to everyone I care about and they'll find out eventually – lies never last very long. I just want to know where my dad is and I want this to end."

"I... I'm not quite sure what you're saying." Gene said, his eyes searching Tony's.

"We've only been together for one day and I've had to lie to Rhodey around... a million times." Tony rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure you're exaggerating." Gene cocked an eyebrow.

"Well yeah but... I don't want to do all of this lying, Gene. It isn't fair on them." Tony sighed, breaking away from Gene and walking over to the other side of the shop, slamming his fists against the wall. "I saw Pepper today... again... do you have any idea what it's like, having to look at the people you're lying to every day?"

"Yes. I do." Gene's sentences were short and sharp, and the expression on his face was pained. Tony felt guilty. Gene did know what it was like – he had been lying to Tony and the others since the day they had met. "If you don't want to lie anymore, why don't you just tell them?"

"You know I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because then I would be as bad as you." Tony snapped, turning to face Gene.

"How?"

"I would be betraying them – you... you betrayed us all. You turned against us in Peru because you wanted power. I don't even know what you want to do with the Makluan rings when you find them all. I just know that you have my father all because you wanted them and I want him back." Tony turned back to face the wall.

"Tony... I don't know what I want to do with them either." Gene said softly, walking up behind Tony and wrapping his arms around him. "But I know you want to see your dad again, and I want you to see your dad again. I said we would talk about it this afternoon."

"Well?" Tony turned to face him. "Are you going to free him or not?"

"I'll free him on the condition that you and your dad help me find the next Makluan rings." Gene proposed. "And I know your dad was studying them – if you two help me find them, I'll allow you unrestricted access to them to find out how they tick. Does that sound like a good deal to you?"

Tony leant forwards and pressed his lips to Gene's.

**Sorry for the long update!**

**I'm usually more regular but I've had a pile of college work, writer's block and a miniature writing competition with one of my friends which seems to be stealing all of my plot bunnies.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please review if you get a chance!**

**I Caught Myself**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Iron Man Armoured Adventures**

**Summary:**** Sequel to 'Teenage Dream', set after 'Tales of Suspense'. Tony knows that Gene is the Mandarin, and Gene knows that Tony is Iron Man. How long can they pursue their secret relationship?**

**Rating:**** M**

**Warnings:**** Slash, smut, swearing, mild violence. Contains spoilers for most of the series.**

**Love The Way You Lie**

**Chapter 4:**

"Has my dad ever actually seen you before?" Tony asked. He and Gene were exploring the catacombs underneath Zhang's import shop, where Gene had imprisoned Zhang and Howard Stark. "By that I mean – has he ever seen you without your Mandarin armour?"

"Nope." Gene replied, stepping over a puddle of water. "I always led him to believe that Zhang was the Mandarin. The only time he ever saw me as I am is when I brought him food and information on the rings I wanted him to work on."

"Did you treat him well?" Tony asked anxiously.

"You'll see." Gene smiled as they approached a metal door embedded in the stone wall. Gene took a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door.

"Dad!" Tony yelled.

Howard Stark was sitting at a large wooden desk, covered with various bits of paper and books that might or might not hold information on the Makluan rings.

The whole room was decorated with ancient Chinese relics and there was a fire alight at one end, illuminating the room in a soft warm glow.

"Tony?" Howard asked in surprise, standing up from his chair and turning to face Tony and Gene. "Tony, oh my God!" Howard ran over to his son and pulled him into a loving embrace.

"Dad." Tony squeezed his eyes shut and buried his head against his father's chest. "I thought you were dead."

"I know..." Howard said, smiling at his son. He looked up at Gene. "Thank you, for bringing Tony to me. How did you manage it?"

"The Mandarin is gone." Gene said, referring to Zhang. Howard didn't need to know all of the details. "I know Tony because I enrolled at the tomorrow academy. My stepfather kidnapped Tony to try and find the fifth ring, and I with him. We managed to escape in the end, though I don't know what happened to Zhang."

"Thank you, Gene. This means the world to me." Howard said.

"I know." Gene said quietly.

"We should get out of here." Tony said. "Rhodey is probably worried about me."

"Gene, will you be coming with us?" Howard asked.

"I... don't really think that's a good idea." Gene replied, shifting on his feet. "I'm not exactly on good terms with many people around here... it would be nice if you didn't mention my involvement. I'll... give you a call in the morning, Tony?"

"Yeah. It's Saturday tomorrow. I can come over if you want." Tony said.

"Okay. I'll give you a call when I'm up."

"Alright. See you tomorrow." Tony smiled and took a few steps forwards. He then turned back to face Gene and Howard. "Gene, how do we get out of here?"

"I thought that might be a problem for you." Gene smiled and began to lead Tony and Howard out of the catacombs.

xXx

Rhodey heard the knock at the door and went to answer it. His mother was working late again and Tony had disappeared off to meet with one of his father's old friends after school, leaving him all alone for the afternoon. He opened the door, and screamed in shock, falling over backwards.

"Nice to see you too, Rhodey." Howard smiled, placing a hand on Tony's shoulder and squeezing. "Do you need help getting up?"

"But – you – plane crash – kidnapped – Mandarin –" Rhodey struggled to find the words to form a coherent sentence, as he accepted Howard's offer and took his hand. Howard pulled Rhodey to his feet and smiled at him. "Do you want to come in?"

"That would be nice." Howard said, walking past Rhodey, heading towards the living room. "Would you mind making me a coffee? I haven't had one in _months_."

"No problem!" Rhodey called. He grabbed Tony by the front of his shirt as he tried to walk past, and dragged him into the kitchen with him. He shoved Tony, and Tony's back hit the kitchen counter. "What is he doing here?"

"Aren't you pleased to see him?" Tony asked, leaning against the worktop.

"You lied to me about seeing one of your father's friends, didn't you? How the hell did you get him out of whatever prison Gene was keeping him in?" Rhodey demanded, prodding Tony in the chest.

"Calm down, Rhodey." Tony held his hands up in front of him. "I didn't run into Gene, if that's what you're worried about. I found some abandoned catacombs under his shop and I decided to explore them. I found my dad in one of the cells and broke him out."

"Did you even have your armour with you?"

"No."

"Damn it, Tony! What if you had run into Gene?" Rhodey scowled. "He would've caught you and he would've done God knows what to you now that he has all five Makluan rings!"

"Rhodey, he wasn't even there. And I'm fine now – stop dwelling on it!" Tony walked over to the kettle and filled it with water from the sink. He switched it on and turned back to face Rhodey. "Just chill out... the important thing is that we got my dad back, right?"

"You know Gene's gonna come after you now." Rhodey folded his arms.

"Well I just have to be prepared then, don't I?" _No, no he won't. I'm going to help him find the next five rings. He wouldn't hurt me or my dad... at least Rhodey doesn't know there were ten rings..._ "Look – Gene has what he wants. He has no reason to come after us."

"Tony, you know who he is and he knows who you are." Rhodey said. "If bringing you down means he can protect himself, it's what he'll do."

"And how do you know that, Rhodey?" Tony asked, gritting his teeth. "He might be really sorry about what he did and he might _really_ regret it. You don't know what's going on in his head, Rhodey!"

"And neither do you." Rhodey snapped, preparing Howard's coffee. "For God's sake, Tony – he tried to kill you and he nearly succeeded in killing me! Do you really think he's worth our forgiveness? He wants to take us out, Tony. We have to be ready for anything."

"Exactly! That's what I'm trying to say." Tony poured the boiling water from the kettle into the mug. "But the only important thing right now is that I've got my dad back."

xXx

Seeing Tony with his dad had brought back so many painful memories for Gene. He had lost his father when he was very younger, younger than he had been when he had lost his mother. Sure, Zhang hadn't been much of a father at all... but he had been better than having no-one.

Gene was lounging in the large throne in the large stone chamber under the shop, swinging the Makluan rings on the chain, watching the dim lights hit the colours and make them sparkle.

At least the Starks were going to help him find the next five rings.

He looked up as he heard footsteps echoing around the room. He sat bolt upright in the throne, ready for any inevitable attack.

The attack came from above, and Gene was wrestled to the ground by a dark figure. He recognised the golden armour plating on his attacker, and gave a forceful kick to their diaphragm. His assailant rolled to the side, clutching his torso. Gene rolled to his feet and kicked the assailant, placing his foot just above their neck.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now." Gene's eyes narrowed as he stared down at the Tong Captain.

"Master Gene, please! Have mercy!" The Tong Captain pleaded, staring up at Gene through his mask. "I heard someone down here! I had no idea it was you!"

"I highly doubt that." Gene said bluntly. He kicked the Tong Captain in the ribs and backed away, still not letting his guard down. "What are you doing here?"

"There was nowhere to go after Peru." The Tong Captain said. "I returned here, in hope that some of the others had found their way back."

"Have any of the others found their way back?" Gene asked.

"None that I am aware of." The Tong Captain answered.

"I have a job for you." Gene said, walking back over to the throne. He threw himself down into it, resting his arms on the sides. "I want you to find all of the Tong you can and bring them here. Just because we suffered defeat in Peru it doesn't mean we're going to give up. I want everyone assembled here because I have a job for all of you." Gene held up the rings in front of the Tong Captain.

"Yes, Mandarin." The Tong Captain was hesitant, but nonetheless he bowed to Gene, and left the chamber.

**Finally! A chapter finished!**

**I've been having real problems with writers block and the invasion of other fandoms into my brain, but I've been really trying to get this one finished.**

**Any reviews or comments are appreciated!**

**I Caught Myself :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! In this chapter, Roberta is going to discover that Howard is alive... maybe they should've told her the news less... spontaneously. There will be references to past Howard/Roberta**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Iron Man Armoured Adventures**

**Summary:**** Sequel to 'Teenage Dream', set after 'Tales of Suspense'. Tony knows that Gene is the Mandarin, and Gene knows that Tony is Iron Man. How long can they pursue their secret relationship?**

**Rating:**** M**

**Warnings:**** Slash, smut, swearing, mild violence. Contains spoilers for most of the series.**

**Love The Way You Lie**

**Chapter 5:**

"James! Tony! I'm home." Roberta Rhodes called, walking through the front door, taking off her coat. She hung it up on the coat peg, and dropped her keys back into her handbag. There was talking and laughter coming from the living room. It sounded like Tony and Rhodey had someone over – she wondered if it was Gene, considering it was another male voice. "Have you boys eaten yet?" She walked into the kitchen and found that the kettle had been boiled not too long ago, judging by how warm it still was.

"No we haven't! We were waiting for you, mum!" Rhodey called from the living room.

"How many do I have to cook for?" She called, rummaging through the freezer.

"Me, you, Tony and one other person!" Rhodey said. "Mum, can you come in here?"

"Why? What did you break?" Roberta groaned, closing the fridge. She walked into the living room and screamed, clapping her hands over her mouth in shock. It couldn't be Howard, could it?

"Long time no see, Roberta." Howard smiled at her and stood up. He walked over to her and grabbed her wrists gently, pulling her hands away from his face. "How have you been?"

"You... you're dead!" Roberta insisted, tears running down her face. "You died... in a plane crash. You... I... this isn't real." Roberta pulled herself away from Howard and ran out of the room and up the stairs.

"Maybe I should go and talk to her..." Howard said nervously, glancing up at the ceiling.

"I'll go and start dinner." Rhodey said, walking into the kitchen. "Tony, are you coming to help?"

"Erm... yeah, sure." Tony said, following Rhodey into the kitchen. He leant against the counter, watching Rhodey getting ready meals out of the fridge. "I really wasn't expecting your mum to act like that when she saw my dad was alive."

"Neither was I." Rhodey mused. "Maybe we should've told her before she saw him... or... at least not shown her he was alive so... suddenly."

xXx

"Roberta, can I talk to you?" Howard knocked on the white painted door to the bedroom. "I want to explain... please... just talk to me."

"Go away!" Roberta's voice was muffled by the closed door, but Howard could tell she was still crying. "I don't want to see you!"

"Roberta, I just want to explain!" Howard said, leaning his forehead against the door. "I want to talk to you... just let me in, please."

The door opened, and Howard stumbled forwards. He looked at Roberta, who was staring at him, her cheeks wet from crying. She walked over to the bed and sat down with her hands in her lap, staring down at the floor.

"You were dead. I saw the reports." Roberta sniffed.

"I wasn't. I was kidnapped by... it doesn't matter. All that matters is that I'm alive and I'm company back from Obadiah Stane, and it means I can take Tony off your hands. I can be a father to him again. He'll still go to school and he'll still be able to see Rhodey whenever he wants, but it'll be better for him."

"And what about what's better for me, Howard?" Roberta growled. "I was moving on! I was accepting the fact that you were dead! I didn't feel so guilty anymore!"

"Roberta, I'm so sorry that I've just dropped this huge bombshell on your life..."

"You can't stay here!" Roberta insisted. "You have to go somewhere else. You can't stay in my house... not while David's away. I don't care if you'll be in a different room. I don't care if you stay there all night – I'm not having you in my house."

"David is still away?"

"He got posted for another three months. He's still flying missions in Europe." Roberta said. "Howard, you can't stay here while David's away... I'm sorry, but what happened between us was wrong. I'm married and I've got James, you've got Tony..."

"I know." Howard sighed. "I'm not here to cause trouble, Roberta. I just have nowhere else to go. Tomorrow morning I'll head down to Stark International. I need you to come with me and I'll tell them what happened. Just let me stay here for one night, Roberta. I'll sleep downstairs on the couch. I won't cause any trouble, I promise."

"Fine. You can stay tonight, but I want you out of here tomorrow night." Roberta said fiercely. "I'll go and make dinner now."

"Yeah – you probably should. Rhodey and Tony said they would start cooking." Howard said.

"And you let them? They can't cook anything without burning it!" Roberta jumped up and walked towards the door. "There is no way in hell I'm letting them burn my food!"

xXx

"Mandarin, I have sent messages to all Tong hideouts in the city." The Tong Captain said, walking into the chamber. "We are likely to have responses by tomorrow morning."

"Good." Gene said, stretching out and yawning.

"Master Khan, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"What job do you have for the Tong, once we are assembled once again?"

"I want the Tong to find something for me." Gene explained. "There are more Makluan rings than we first thought. There are not five. There are, in fact, ten Makluan rings. When the rest of the Tong arrive here we will examine the map to find the next five rings and then go after them together, with the help of the Starks."

"The Starks?"

"Yes. The Starks. I have the trust of Howard and Tony Stark. Tony has agreed to help me find the next five rings, and I know Howard won't need very much convincing. Both of them are obsessed with the rings. They want to find them almost as much as I do." Gene said. "When I meet with Tony and his father you will have to remain in the shadows. To have their trust I need to play a part, one I cannot do if I'm surrounded by the Tong."

"Very well, Master Khan."

"Tony will be here tomorrow. If any Tong foot soldiers arrive I want you to bring them straight down here. I will be upstairs with Tony. I'm sure I'll be able to occupy his attention long enough so that you can get them all in here without him noticing." Gene smirked.

xXx

"This is the best meal I've had in months!" Howard said, wolfing down the food that he had been given.

"It's only a ready meal, dad." Tony smiled. Howard's comment made him wonder what Gene had been feeding him the whole time he was imprisoned. Gene had kept him in a good enough cell, surely the food would've been similar quality?

"What did they feed you while you were imprisoned?" Rhodey asked.

"It was pretty basic food." Howard said. "It was mainly things like sandwiches, and on occasion there would be hot food. Usually soup, or some sort of Chinese dish... I mean... well... they were Chinese... so... It was whatever they had enough of for spares."

"Did they treat you well?" Rhodey asked.

"They did, actually."

"That's a shocker." Rhodey muttered under his breath.

"Did you just say something, James?" Roberta asked.

"Nope, nothing."

"I think it's my turn to ask the questions, seeing as I've been away for so long." Howard smiled. "How's school?"

"School is fine." Rhodey shrugged. "Then again, I've always had to go to school."

"Tony, what do you think of school?" Howard turned his attention to his son.

"It's okay I guess." Tony shrugged. "There are things I would rather do instead of school, but I guess it's for my own good. Or so I keep being told." Tony shot a glare at Rhodey and then grinned.

"How much trouble have you got into for skipping lessons?" Howard asked.

"... A bit." Tony confessed.

"More than a bit." Roberta said. "He had a rough patch when he first started, but he seems to be settling in now. I have been called a couple of times when he's skipped lessons, but it's nothing to worry about. He's ahead in pretty much all of his classes anyway. You raised him well, Howard."

"Have you got a good group of friends?" Howard asked.

"Yeah." Tony replied. "I've got Rhodey, and then there's Pepper – her dad's an FBI Agent – and there's Happy – he's a basketball player – and Whitney also enrolled at the Tomorrow Academy."

"Whitney, as in 'Whitney Stane'?" Howard asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah. I'm not sure why she decided to enrol at school." Tony shrugged. "I think she said something about getting closer to me."

"What about Gene? Is he in your group of friends?" Howard asked.

"That's complicated..." Tony squirmed in his seat.

Rhodey dropped his knife and fork to the kitchen floor with a clatter and his face set into a grimace. Tony cleared his throat awkwardly and continued eating, ignoring his dad's question. Roberta glanced at Rhodey, and then at Tony.

"Isn't Gene the guy with the yellow trousers who you two used to hang around with?" Roberta asked.

"Used to." Rhodey scowled. He picked his knife and fork and placed them on his plate. "I'm not really hungry, and I've got loads of work to do. Excuse me." He picked up his plate and walked over to the kitchen worktop, placing it in the sink. They sat in silence as Rhodey walked out of the kitchen, and up the stairs.

"What's up with him?" Howard asked. "I know Gene said something about not being on good terms with people here... is Rhodey one of them? What happened?"

"Erm... I'm... I'm not really sure." Tony lied. "I just know that Gene and Rhodey never got on well since the day they met. I'm not sure what's wrong with him. I guess he's just tired and... being a teenager."

"Why is it so complicated with Gene?" Howard asked. "He seemed nice enough."

"It... just is." Tony shrugged. "Can we talk about something else now?"

xXx

"Rhodey, can I come in?" Tony asked, knocking on the door to Rhodey's room. There was no answer, so Tony barged into the room anyway.

Rhodey was sitting at his desk, using the computer and scribbling some notes down. He stopped when he turned around and saw Tony walk into the room, and turned off the computer screen, closing the notebook he was writing in.

"Tony. What do you want?"

"I wanted to see if you were okay." Tony said, leaning against the doorframe. "Are you okay?"

"I guess so."

"Rhodey, there's clearly something wrong. You kinda stormed out of the kitchen at dinner when 'Gene' was mentioned." Tony said. "Why won't you just tell me?"

"There's nothing wrong!" Rhodey snapped.

"What were you looking at on the computer?"

"Nothing."

"Rhodey, why are you so defensive?" Tony sighed. "You know that I can just go to my computer and drag up all of your internet history. Do you really want me to do that?"

"Not particularly."

"Exactly. So wouldn't it be easier to just tell me?"

"Okay... I was doing some research on the Makluan rings to find out what Gene might want them for..." Rhodey started to explain. He switched the computer screen back on. "... And I found out that there could be more than the original five we thought there were. It looks as if there might be ten Makluan rings."

"Really?" Tony asked. _Nice one, Rhodey. I already knew that. Why are you still looking at all of this stuff?_ "Do you have any idea where any of them might be?" _That way I can tell Gene where one of them is and we can go after it together._

"Come and look at this." Rhodey gestured to Tony to come closer and brought up a map on the desktop. "This is a map which supposedly shows the locations of the next five rings."

"Where's the closest one?" Tony asked, leaning over Rhodey.

"The Grand Canyon." Rhodey said. "Tony... we could go after it tomorrow. It's the weekend. We could make sure we get it before Gene."

"Oh... yeah... I'm busy tomorrow."

"Doing what?"

"Stuff."

"What 'stuff'?"

"Just stuff."

"Like what?"

"Do you really need to know?"

"Yes. What could be more important than going after another ring?"

"I – uh – have to go and see Pepper."

"She hasn't spoken to you since Peru."

"I know. I thought I would take the initiative and go and see her – maybe listen to her. Be a good friend."

"Tony, you never listen to Pepper."

"Well... there's a first for everything."

"I'll come with you."

"No!" Tony snapped. "Uh – I mean – no. Sorry Rhodey, but I want to see her on my own." He stepped back from the computer and sat down on Rhodey's bed. "I want to tell her that I've got my dad back and – well – I'll tell her that we found some more rings. She might want to come with us."

"Oh. Fair enough." Rhodey said. "Well... I'll try and gather some more information. We should probably do the trip soon – I'm betting that Gene also knows that there are ten rings and he's probably out there somewhere looking for them too."

xXx

_"Hey Gene, it's Tony."_

"Tony. I wasn't expecting you to call this late. Was there something you wanted?" Gene asked, swinging the rings on the string in front of him. He usually did it when he was thinking or on the phone to someone.

_"I think I know where the next ring is."_

"That's great! Where is it?"

_"I'll tell you tomorrow. I have to go. Night Gene."_

"Night. I'll see you tomorrow."

_"I know. I can't wait."_

"I..." Gene hesitated. "I love you."

_"Love you too."_

**End of this chapter!**

**I threw in a bit of past Roberta and Howard because they just seem WAY too close to just be friends.**

**Any comments and feedback are appreciated!**

**I Caught Myself**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Iron Man Armoured Adventures**

**Summary:**** Sequel to 'Teenage Dream', set after 'Tales of Suspense'. Tony knows that Gene is the Mandarin, and Gene knows that Tony is Iron Man. How long can they pursue their secret relationship?**

**Rating:**** M**

**Warnings:**** Slash, smut, swearing, mild violence. Contains spoilers for most of the series.**

**Love The Way You Lie**

**Chapter 6:**

Pepper answered the knock at the door. Rhodey was standing there. She blinked at him in confusion and surprise.

"Pepper... why do you look so confused?" Rhodey asked.

"It's nice to see you and all, but why are you here?"

"Tony said he was meeting you today." Rhodey explained. "I thought I'd come and join you both. I've got something great to tell you!"

"Tony isn't coming over." Pepper said. "I haven't spoken to him or you since, y'know, that thing in Peru. That's why I'm so surprised to see you standing on my doorstep."

"But... he told me he was. He told me he was coming to talk to you because you guys haven't spoken since Peru. He said he had stuff to tell you as well – he rescued his dad and we think we've found another Makluan ring."

"Wait – what?" Pepper asked. "Another Makluan ring? We found all five of them."

"There's ten."

"Right. How did you find that out?"

"Some website on Chinese history."

"And do you trust everything you read on the internet?"

"Pepper, this is real. There's a map and it shows all of the locations of the previous five, and it has the locations of the next five." Rhodey said. "I'm pretty sure it's true."

"Have you told Tony?"

"Yeah. I told him that there's one in the Grand Canyon and I wanted to go after it today... but he said he was seeing you, so we couldn't go." Rhodey said. "He said he was going to tell you all about it today. I was just wondering if you wanted to come with us to find the next ring."

"Not really..." Pepper said. "I don't really want to be involved anymore, Rhodey. After the whole 'Peru thing' I don't really want to go after these rings. I don't want anything to do with them – I told Tony when we left you in the library that I didn't think it was a good idea to go after the ring because the Mandarin only had three rings because of us."

"Pepper, we weren't to know about –"

"Exactly!" Pepper scowled. "We weren't to know that Gene was actually a power hungry psychopath who played us all for idiots. We weren't to know that he was going to betray us all in Peru and try to kill you and Tony."

"Pepper. Calm down." Rhodey said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "This time, it's just going to be you, me, Tony and his dad. There isn't going to be any Gene. For all we know, he isn't even in New York anymore. He might not even be in America at all."

xXx

"What excuse did you give Rhodes this time?" Gene asked, leading Tony upstairs to his room.

"I told him I was going to see Pepper." Tony replied. "He said he was going to look for information on the rings and do some planning to find the next one."

"Where is the next one?" Gene asked, opening the door to his room.

"I'm not telling you." Tony stuck his tongue out at Gene and flopped down on Gene's bed, grinning.

"Why not?" Gene asked, closing the door.

"I don't feel like it." Tony replied, closing his eyes. He smirked. "Persuade me."

"Oh?" Gene raised an eyebrow.

"You heard me." Tony said. "So? What are you going to do?"

"I can think of a few things that might make you tell me..." Gene smirked, walking over to the bed. He crawled up the bed, on top of Tony.

"Really?" Tony asked.

"Really." Gene leant down and pressed a kiss to Tony's lips. Tony smiled and wrapped his arms around Gene's neck, pulling him down harder.

Within minutes, all items of clothing had been discarded and were in a pile in the corner of the room. Tony and Gene were laying next to each other on the bed. Both of them were completely naked, and Tony was drawing patterns on Gene's pale skin with his fingertips.

"It's in the Grand Canyon."

"Excuse me?"

"The next ring." Tony said, kissing Gene's collarbone. "Rhodey found a map that leads us to the Grand Canyon. He found out there were ten rings."

"How?"

"Internet." Tony shrugged.

"I didn't really do much to persuade you." Gene smiled.

"You didn't need to." Tony said. "I wanted to tell you anyway. We can go after it together, with my dad."

"What about Rhodes?"

"What about him?"

"Won't he want to go with you?" Gene asked. "He did find the map and the location. And he's been with you whenever you've gone after the other rings."

"Except for Greenland. That was just me and you."

"True, but he doesn't know that you're still in contact with me." Gene reminded the other teen. "He'll wonder why you don't want him to go with you."

"I'll tell him I want to spend some quality time with my dad." Tony insisted. "He needs to respect that I need my space. I only just got my dad back after months of believing he was dead. I think I deserve to spend some quality time with him."

"But you won't be spending quality time with him."

"Why not?"

"I'll be there."

"And so will my dad."

"But I'll be there with you." Gene said. "That isn't quality time with your dad."

"But Rhodey won't know that."

"Tony, you can't keep lying to him!" Gene sighed, pushing Tony away. "You're taking this too far. Before it was just meant to be small lies that you weren't seeing me and you didn't know where I was. Now... now it's telling Rhodey you're going to see other people, telling him that he can't come to find the next Makluan ring because you want quality time with your dad. All you're doing is... the... the lies just get worse every time, Tony. You're a good person and all that happens is you keep lying to everyone... I..."

"What?" Tony asked, sitting up. "You what? Go on, tell me. I'm a big boy. I can take whatever you want to say."

"I can't help but feel like it's my fault." Gene rolled over and stood up off the bed. He picked up his trousers and started pulling them on. "I'm the one that encouraged you to lie. I'm the one that lied to everyone in the first place. I'm the one that fuelled your obsession for the Makluan rings after your father disappeared." He fastened his trousers and threw Tony his clothes.

"That's not fair." Tony said, pulling his boxers on.

"Why not?" Gene asked, turning to face him. "The only reason I said I would help you before was because I wanted to find all of the rings for myself. That day you came into the shop and asked to see Zhang I should've just turned you away."

"What's got into you?" Tony asked.

"What's got into you?" Gene repeated back to him. He sat down on the bed with his head in his hands and sighed. "I'm sorry, Tony. I'm sorry."

"Is something wrong?" Tony asked, sitting down beside him.

"I'm just stressed out." Gene replied. "All the lies... it doesn't sit well with me that you have to lie to everyone about me, just because I made a mistake and they all hate me. You deserve better than sneaking around with me."

"So you think you're not good enough for me?" Tony asked.

"I'm not sure what I think anymore."

"Well I know what I think." Tony placed a hand on Gene's knee, and tilted his head back so that he could look at him. "I think that you're one of the best things that ever happened to me, even if you did make a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes, Gene. I've made plenty of them, as Tony Stark and as Iron Man."

"People forgive you when you make mistakes, Tony." Gene murmured, glancing at Tony, and then down at his lap.

"I'm not sure they will if they find out about this one." Tony said thoughtfully, tilting Gene's head back to look at him. He leant down and kissed Gene.

**No smut I'm afraid, but I didn't really think it would fit with what I was trying to do with this chapter.**

**Any comments and feedback are appreciated.**

**I Caught Myself**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Iron Man Armoured Adventures**

**Summary:**** Sequel to 'Teenage Dream', set after 'Tales of Suspense'. Tony knows that Gene is the Mandarin, and Gene knows that Tony is Iron Man. How long can they pursue their secret relationship?**

**Rating:**** M**

**Warnings:**** Slash, smut, swearing, mild violence. Contains spoilers for most of the series.**

**Love The Way You Lie**

**Chapter 7:**

"I have to go. It's getting late and I want to be home for dinner." Tony said, detaching Gene's arms from around him as he reached for his clothes. "Can I see you tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'll have to give you a call in the morning." Gene said. There was little emotion in his voice.

"Oh. Okay then." Tony said, getting dressed. "Are you busy tomorrow?"

"Possibly."

"Doing what?"

"Is it any of your business?"

"Oh. Well. I thought it might be. I was just asking." Tony sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Is this about before?"

"Is what about before?" Gene asked, rolling over to face Tony.

"You just seem unhappy." Tony shrugged. "Is it because of what happened before?"

"No."

"That didn't sound convincing."

"Tony, I'm fine." Gene stood up and walked over Tony, pulling him into his arms. "I'm just really, really tired and thinking about stuff."

"I shouldn't have told you about the ring, should I?"

"Probably not." Gene smiled.

xXx

Rhodey was walking down the street, heading back from Pepper's house. He had spent the whole day with her, helping her with homework and just generally getting her back on track. He had never realised how much Gene had hurt her before.

He was on the street that Gene's stepfather's shop was on. The lights were on inside – meaning that Gene had packed up and sold the shop to someone, or he was still in there. It couldn't be Zhang – he wasn't coming back from Peru. Rhodey had made sure of that.

Rhodey stopped when he caught sight of the shop door opening.

He saw Gene standing in the doorway and balled his hands into fists.

He gritted his teeth when he saw someone else walking out of the shop and stopping beside Gene.

He was startled when he saw that is was Tony.

His heart stopped when he saw that Tony was _kissing_ Gene.

Rhodey felt his blood boil as he stormed across the road to where Tony and Gene were. He pulled Tony off of Gene and gave him a shove.

"You... you... BASTARD!" Rhodey yelled. "ALL THIS TIME! ALL THIS TIME YOU... AND HIM... YOU... ARGH!"

"Rhodey, I can explain!" Tony insisted.

"I would like to see you try!" Rhodey growled. "He betrayed us all, Tony! He tried to kill you and he tried to kill me, all for a ring! He deceived us from the beginning and now here you are, _kissing_ him, Tony! For all I know you're probably fucking too!"

"Rhodes, listen to him." Gene scowled, placing a hand on Rhodey's shoulder.

"Oh, don't you dare touch me you son of a bitch!" Rhodey spun on his heel and smacked his fist into Gene's jaw. Gene fell to the floor and sat up, rubbing his jaw.

"Rhodey, stop! Listen to me!" Tony pleaded as Rhodey walked over to Gene and kicked him in the stomach. Tony shoved Rhodey out of the way and glared at him, he offered a hand to Gene and helped him up. Rhodey grabbed Tony's arm and threw him out of the way and punched Gene in the stomach, he doubled over with an 'oof' and spat out some blood. Rhodey threw him an uppercut which Gene blocked and then punched Gene in the face.

"Guys! Stop please!" Tony got in the way of Gene and Rhodey and held them at arms width apart. "Can we talk about this... Please?"

"Why are you protecting him, Tony? He deserves everything he gets." Rhodey snarled at Tony. "At least now I know what's really going on. You don't have to lie to my face anymore."

"Rhodey..." Tony gripped his best friend's arm. "I want to talk about this."

"Give up, Tony. He isn't going to listen." Gene said, wiping blood from his mouth. "If he was a real friend, he –"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, GENE." Rhodey yelled, reaching past Tony for the other teen, trying to punch him again. "What the hell would you know about friendship anyway? You stabbed us all in the back when we thought you were our friend!"

"I was your friend!" Gene insisted. "I still could be your friend if you would just listen to me!"

"Why would I even want to be friends with you after everything you've done?" Rhodey demanded, stepping back from Tony and Gene. He threw his hands up in the air. "I'm done. Do what you want, Tony. I know you're not going to listen to me when I tell you that Gene is bad news and you should have nothing to do with him. Just don't expect me to come running to pick up the pieces when this falls apart." Rhodey turned on his heel and began to walk away from Tony and Gene.

"Is your lip okay?" Tony asked, reaching towards Gene's face.

"It's fine." Gene slapped Tony's hand away. "Are you going to go after him?"

"I feel as though I should." Tony sighed.

"Then go. I'm going to go inside and get myself cleaned up."

"I'm sorry."

"I'll call you tomorrow." Gene turned around and walked back into his shop, slamming the door behind him.

Tony ran off after Rhodey. He caught up with the other teen at the traffic lights, where he was waiting to cross the road.

"Did you get hurt in the fight?" Tony asked.

"Only my hands." Rhodey said, staring ahead at the cars going past as he absentmindedly cradled his knuckles in his other hand.

"Rhodey, I understand that you're mad –"

"Mad? MAD? I'm more than mad, Tony! Mad doesn't even start to describe how I feel about this!" Rhodey exploded, rounding on his best friend. "He tried to kill us all! I'm damn sure he _wanted_ to kill me! He kidnapped your dad and blew up his plane – do you remember that, Tony? How could you forget though? Because of it you have a fucking battery powering your heart!"

"Rhodey, calm down." Tony said, placing his hands on Rhodey's shoulders. "I know you're... beyond mad... but if you calm down we can talk about this and sort something out."

"Oh? What are we going to sort out?" Rhodey asked. "Are we going to sort out a time when you and Gene can see each other with my permission? Are we going to organise a curfew for you? What do you mean by 'sort something out' Tony?"

"I'm... not entirely sure." Tony said. "Some sort of compromise?"

"HOW THE HELL CAN WE COMPROMISE?"

"I don't know... but you can come after the next ring with us... you might realise that Gene isn't such a bad guy..."

"You told him where the next ring was?"

"Yeah... he's still looking for them."

"He's crazy, Tony! You can't help him get more of those things!"

"Rhodey, they're his by birthright – they're like his inheritance. When my father disappeared I couldn't have anything because I was too young. At least he can inherit his family's legacy."

"Don't talk to me, okay? I don't care about Gene's birthright and whatever. I'm not helping you find the next ring, and you can tell Gene that." Rhodey said, crossing the light when the green man flashed up. "I don't want to talk about this anymore tonight."

xXx

Dinner was awkward.

Tony and Rhodey both sat and ate in silence, whilst Roberta and Howard wondered what had upset their children. Being parents meant they could automatically tell that something had happened, and the something that had happened was bad.

"Tony, how was your day?" Howard asked, trying to start a conversation.

Instead, he succeeded in making the atmosphere even more awkward.

"It was okay."

"Anything interesting happen?"

"No."

"How about you, James?" Robert asked.

"Huh?" Rhodey didn't even bother to look up.

"Have you had a good day?"

"Oh. Yeah. I went to see Pepper."

"How is she?" Roberta asked. "She doesn't come around here anymore. I was wondering if everything was okay with you two and her."

"Pepper's fine." Rhodey answered. "She's just had some stuff going on."

The silence crept back in and Roberta and Howard both glanced at each other and shrugged slightly, having no idea what was going on.

"May I be excused?" Tony asked.

"Sure." Howard said. "Why?"

"I have some homework I need to finish." Tony said and left the room.

He jogged out of the house, and through the grounds to the lab. Tony stood in front of the computer and began to tap the keys, bringing up Rhodey's internet history.

"You're too late." Rhodey said from the doorway. "It's gone."

"What do you mean, 'it's gone'?" Tony asked.

"I wiped all of my history." Rhodey replied. "And by 'gone' I mean... gone forever. I used your computer to get rid of it so you won't be able to get it back. I told you – I'm not helping you and Gene find another ring."

"Rhodey, do you know how important these rings are?" Tony asked. "They're just like some sort of ancient technology. Think of what we could do if we knew how they worked! Think of what I could do to my Iron Man suit!"

"Here comes the 'for science' argument." Rhodey mocked a yawn. "Do you wonder if Iron Man still means the same to you now as when you started out? Before it was all about protecting people but now – now it just seems to be about having better tech than your enemies and taking out people who want to hurt you personally."

"That's not true!" Tony protested.

"Isn't it?" Rhodey asked, turning away and walking out of the lab.

**Thanks for reading this chapter!**

**Credit goes to DarknessintheCorners for writing the fight scene between Rhodey and Gene... I really can't write fight scenes.**

**Any comments or feedback are appreciated!**

**I Caught Myself :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for all of the reviews so far!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Iron Man Armoured Adventures**

**Summary:**** Sequel to 'Teenage Dream', set after 'Tales of Suspense'. Tony knows that Gene is the Mandarin, and Gene knows that Tony is Iron Man. How long can they pursue their secret relationship?**

**Rating:**** M**

**Warnings:**** Slash, smut, swearing, mild violence. Contains spoilers for most of the series.**

**Love The Way You Lie**

**Chapter 8:**

Gene went downstairs, into the catacombs. The Tong Captain was waiting for him, several Tong foot soldiers gathered behind him. They all stopped talking and snapped to attention when they spotted Gene. He walked over to the Tong Captain, and inspected the group. He heard his phone beep, and checked the text message, gritting his teeth as he read it.

"Have you been in a fight?" The Tong Captain asked in surprise.

Gene absentmindedly touched two fingers to his split lip, and then the large, blotchy bruise on his right cheekbone.

"Is this all?" Gene asked, ignoring the Tong Captain's concern.

"I'm afraid so, Master Khan."

"It'll have to do." Gene sighed, walking over to the large ornamental throne and sitting down in it. "The plan has changed. All we know about the next ring is that it's in the Grand Canyon – we don't know anymore, because the data has been deleted."

"What are we going to do then?"

"We're going to kidnap the one person who has all of the information on this ring." Gene's lips twitched, almost forming a smile. "And he's going to wish he never started a fight with _me_."

xXx

Rhodey sat up and switched the bedside lamp on. He could've sworn that he had just heard someone in his room. He gazed around the room, his eyes darting from corner-to-corner, checking for anyone or anything.

_Right. Just paranoid I guess._ Rhodey thought as he flopped back down onto the pillows, staring at the ceiling as he switched the light off. He tried to scream as he felt a hand cover his mouth. He reached for the light to switch it on, but the hand had already been replaced with a rag that smelt strongly of chemicals.

"Does this rag smell like chloroform?" Gene chuckled through his gas mask as he felt Rhodey slowly stop struggling, and fall into unconsciousness. He removed the rag from Rhodey's mouth and looked at it. "I guess it does." He walked over to the window and pulled it open, letting in the Tong foot soldiers who had been waiting outside. "Take him out of here and put him in the van. Wait for me and then we'll drive out West to the Grand Canyon."

xXx

"Tony! Have you seen James?" Roberta yelled up the stairs. "I can't find him anywhere!"

"No!" Tony called back, sleeping stumbling to the top of the stairs, rubbing his eyes. "Maybe he left early for school."

"Tony, it's five in the morning! No-one leaves for school then, not even James!"

_ Well this isn't normal._ Tony thought as he walked downstairs into the kitchen. "Why are you up at five? More importantly, why am I up at five?"

"Me and your father are heading over to Stark Industries. I need to stop off in the office on the way and I want to get there early." Roberta said, picking up the car keys. "And you're up at five, or you won't get out of bed on your own later. HOWARD. GET DOWN HERE, OR WE'LL BE LATE!"

"It's five in the morning!" Howard protested, walking out of the kitchen holding a slice of toast. "We're not going to be late for a nine o'clock meeting if we leave a minute too late."

"Knowing your time keeping, I'm pretty sure we can still manage it." Roberta smiled, checking she had her phone and wallet in her handbag. "Tony – If you hear anything from James, text me. I want to know where the hell he is at such a ridiculous time of the morning. I'll try calling him when I can."

"Okay... have fun at your meeting." Tony waved to Roberta and Howard as they left the house, closing the door behind them.

xXx

When Rhodey woke up, he was vaguely aware that he was moving. Not walking along – but in a vehicle of some sort. He could make out a couple of dark shapes in the vehicle with him, and light coming through the front. He realised that he was in a van, being driven somewhere. He was gagged with duct tape and his hands were tied behind his back, his legs tied at the ankle.

"Hmph." Rhodey struggled against his bonds, kicking the bottom of the van to get someone's attention.

One of the figures in the back leaned over into the van cab.

"Master Khan, he's awake."

"Stop the van!" Gene's voice commanded.

_Gene._ Rhodey was furious. First, he had betrayed them all. Now, he had kidnapped him and tied him up in the back of a van.

The van rolled to a halt, and Rhodey heard one of the cab doors open. The side door on the van slid open, and Gene stepped up into the back. He crouched down in front of Rhodey, smirking.

"Oh, don't look at me like that." Gene said, ripping the duct tape off Rhodey's mouth. Rhodey uttered a couple of swear words. "We both know you wouldn't have come with me willingly. This was the only way I could ensure that you would help me find the next ring."

"I'm not going to help you." Rhodey declared. "You're evil, those rings are evil and I don't give a fuck if they're yours by right."

"Rhodes, you're going to help me."

"Oh yeah? What makes you think that?"

"If you don't, I'll kill you. It's as simple as that."

"Do you really think I'm scared of you?"

"I think you're scared of what I might do to Tony." Gene said, screwing up the duct tape, and throwing it out of the van behind him. Rhodey's eyes widened. "If the threat of losing your life isn't enough to make you co-operate, I'll just have to choose something else..."

"You wouldn't dare." Rhodey growled, narrowing his eyes.

"What makes you think that?" Gene asked. "Like you say, I betrayed you all before –"

"Make that twice now, counting this."

"– What makes you think I wouldn't hurt Tony again?" Gene finished, ignoring Rhodey's comment.

"I know you would hurt Tony again." Rhodey said. "You're going to hurt him again, when he finds out about this. For some reason, he trusts you. I don't understand it myself – but he accepted you again after Peru – he was fucking _kissing_ you. Congratulations, Gene. You've managed to prove to me again that you're a complete dick. I'd like to see you try and go a week without manipulating _someone_."

"Was that meant to hurt?" Gene asked. "You're not first person to say anything like this to me."

"And I bet I won't be the last."

"Whatever. We should move on. We're making good time." Gene said, walking out of the van. He slid the door closed and climbed back into the cab.

xXx

"Tony... I... can I talk to you?"

"Sure." Tony put down his pen and leant back in his chair, looking up at Pepper. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Can we go somewhere... else?" Pepper asked, glancing around the classroom.

"Oh yeah, okay." Tony pushed his chair back and stood up. "Whitney, can you keep an eye on my stuff? I'm going to get some fresh air."

"Can't I come with you?" Whitney asked, glaring at Happy and the others in the classroom.

"No, sorry." Tony smiled sheepishly. "I'll be back soon."

He followed Pepper out of the classroom, and up the stairs onto the roof. Pepper leant on the railing and Tony stood beside her.

"Where's Rhodey?" Pepper asked, staring out across the city.

"I don't know." Tony replied. "We woke up this morning and he was gone – and that was at five in the morning."

"Do you think something bad happened to him?" Pepper asked.

"What do you mean by something bad?"

"Last night he text me, saying something about Gene being back, and how he suspected that he knew about the research he had done on the next Makluan ring." Pepper explained. "He said that he was going to get rid of everything, to make sure Gene couldn't get a hold of anything. What if... what if Gene went after him?"

"Gene wouldn't go after him."

"Yes he would!" Pepper insisted, turning to face Tony. "You saw in Peru! He blasted Rhodey against the wall with no remorse, and then he came over to us and tried to kill him! What the hell makes you think that Gene wouldn't go after him?"

"I don't know..." Tony said. He felt sick. What if Gene had gone after Rhodey? What if Gene had done something bad to Rhodey? What if... "I think I know what's happened to Rhodey."

"Really? What?" Pepper asked.

"Pepper..." Tony spun her round and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Can you collect my stuff from the classroom and drop it at my house after school?"

"What? Where are you going?" Pepper called after him as he ran towards the stairwell.

xXx

Tony ran into the lab and walked over to the computer, tapping in map co-ordinates for the Grand Canyon.

"Computer, get me a flight plan for the Grand Canyon." Tony commanded. He walked over to the casing where his Iron Man suit was – he had been surprised how much of the lab had been salvageable after the explosion. It wasn't as good as it had been, but it worked for Tony.

"Where are you off to in a hurry?" A voice asked.

Tony spun around and saw Howard standing in the doorway of his lab.

"Dad. I didn't know you had the codes for my lab."

"They were pretty easy to guess." Howard shrugged walking over to Tony. "So you're the Iron Man everyone's been talking about. I've heard some pretty impressive stuff about you. Is this the reason you survived the plane crash?" Howard placed his hand on the casing the suit was in.

"It is." Tony said. "How did the meeting go?"

"Progress is slow." Howard shrugged. "I've spent most of the morning proving that I am Howard Stark. You should've seen Obadiah's face when I walked into the room. It was a mix of shock and horror."

"I can only imagine." Tony smiled.

"So what are you doing home from school?"

"I need to go." Tony looked away. "Someone needs my help."

"What sort of help?"

"Iron Man."

"Is it dangerous?"

"It could be."

"Can I come with you?"

"Dad..." Tony hesitated.

"What is it?"

"It's... I think I know where Rhodey is."

"Where is he?"

"I think he's been taken to the Grand Canyon."

"Why the Grand Canyon?"

"Well... that's where we think the next Makluan ring is."

"So why is Rhodey being taken there?"

"I... I think Gene's taken him." Tony sighed, opening up the casing his Iron Man suit was in. He stepped into the booth, to put the suit on. "Gene... Gene is the Mandarin. He's the one who blew up the plane, he's the one that kidnapped you – he fooled everyone, dad."

"How long have you known?"

"A while." Tony hesitated, stepping out of the booth, fiddling with the wrist joint, as it felt a little stiff. "I thought... I thought that things could be different, if he knew I understood him, but... it's these rings. They've consumed him. He doesn't seem to have anything except a drive to find all ten, and he doesn't even know what he wants to do with them. He betrayed me, Rhodey and Pepper over one of those rings – he even tried to kill us, and I forgave him." Tony slammed his fists against the wall, leaving a huge dent from the force of it.

"That's because you're a good person, Tony."

"I'm not a good person!" Tony yelled, turning to face Howard. "When you were gone, I did some bad things. I nearly _killed_ people, dad! I'm pretty sure I must've killed at least one person the whole time you were gone!" He scrunched up his eyes and turned away, determined not to cry in front of his father.

"Tony, everyone has done things that they're not proud of." Howard said softly, walking over to Tony, placing his hand on the shoulder plating. "Take a look at me – I used to make weapons for people, Tony. I may not have directly killed someone, but I was responsible for the death of anyone at the hand of one of my weapons. If you've done something that you believe is wrong, you have to change to fix it – think of all the lives you must've saved as Iron Man. Think of what you _can_ _do_, instead of what you've _done_."

"Thanks, dad." Tony smiled.

"So, is this trip to the Grand Canyon restricted to one person, or can I come too?" Howard asked.

"Sure... but I don't know how you're going to keep up."

"Don't you have another suit?"

"I have the suit Rhodey used..."

"Will it fit?"

"I'm sure it will." Tony said. "Just... be careful with the weapons systems. That suit has got pretty much _everything_ that goes boom."

**:O**

**That chapter was done quick!**

**Any comments and feedback are appreciated!**


	9. Chapter 9

**FINALLY.**

**I'm sorry for the wait all of you lovely people have had to endure for chapter 9 – which is the final chapter of this story. I've had loads of history work to do for college, I took part in NaNoWriMo and I'm still trying to finish that story, and I'm also filling out a couple of requests and working on something new after a rabid plot bunny attack.**

**Sorry to keep you all waiting for so long!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Iron Man Armoured Adventures, but DarknessintheCorners owns Steve the Ninja... and I don't really know why he's even in this chapter, considering it's the most serious out of them all O_O**

**Summary:**** Sequel to 'Teenage Dream', set after 'Tales of Suspense'. Tony knows that Gene is the Mandarin, and Gene knows that Tony is Iron Man. How long can they pursue their secret relationship?**

**Rating:**** M**

**Warnings:**** Slash, smut, swearing, mild violence. Contains spoilers for most of the series.**

**Love The Way You Lie**

**Chapter 9:**

Rhodey was roughly pushed out of the van. He landed on the ground and struggled up into a kneeling position, still with his hands and ankles bound.

He looked around, and realised that they had finally got to the Grand Canyon. The sun was high in the sky, indicating that it was around midday. Rhodey had no idea how long he had been in the van for. He wondered if his mother had got the police searching for him. He wondered whether Tony was looking for him.

Gene stepped out of the front of the van and walked over to Rhodey, standing in front of him with his arms folded. He was dressed in the same gear as his ninjas, except he was missing the headdress.

"We're here. SO. You're going to tell me everything you know about this ring, or I'm going to hurt you." Gene declared.

"I'm not telling you anything." Rhodey growled. "I found all of it on the internet – why don't you go look it up yourself?"

"Because this way is more fun." Gene shrugged, smirking. "And you can't believe everything you read on the internet."

"Well I'm still not telling you anything." Rhodey insisted.

Gene unfolded his arms and took a couple of steps closer to Rhodey, grabbing a fistful of his hair. He balled his other hand into a fist.

"Tell me."

"No."

Gene punched Rhodey.

"Tell me."

"No."

Gene delivered a kick to Rhodey's stomach, winding the other teen. He collapsed onto his side, wheezing.

"Are you going to tell me now?" Gene asked.

"Erm... Master Khan... I don't think he can answer." One of the ninjas said anxiously. "You did just punch him in the stomach... that hurts a lot..."

"Shut up!" Gene snapped turning to face the ninja. "Did I ask for your opinion? No. I didn't. If I want your opinion then I will ask you for it. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master Khan... sorry Master Khan..."

"You better be..." Gene scowled, turning back to face Rhodey, who was still laying on the ground with blood running from his lip. "Tell me about the ring, and I won't hurt anyone. You'll be free to go as soon as I get the ring."

"What are you going to do about Tony?" Rhodey asked, gritting his teeth because of the pain. "Are you going to break up with him after this?"

"Not if he doesn't find out."

"Don't be fucking stupid! Of course he'll find out!" Rhodey spat blood out of his mouth. "I'll tell him what you've done! I'll tell him that you're psychotic and he'd be better off without you!"

"How many times have you told him that before?" Gene asked. "How many times has he refused to listen to you?"

"Shut up."

"You're just jealous because after everything I've done, he still loves me." Gene said. "Do you know how obvious it is? You've always been jealous, Rhodes. You've always tried to tell Tony that I'm not good for him – you even warned me off a couple of times."

"That's because you weren't good for him! You still aren't!" Rhodey growled as Gene hauled him back into an upright position.

"Stop acting like you're Tony's mum!" Gene snapped. "What makes you think you can dictate to him who he can and can't be friends with? What allows you to stop me and him seeing each other? Yes, I've done things that I'm not proud of but that doesn't make me a bad person – I'm sure you've done things you're not proud of too. You're not perfect either, Rhodes."

"I haven't done anything as bad as you!"

"Then why didn't my stepfather come home from Peru?"

"HA! OWNED!" One of the ninjas yelled and then fell silent, when he realised that he had voiced his thoughts aloud.

Gene turned around to face the ninja.

"Um... I'm sorry, Master Khan."

"We'll talk about this later, Steve." Gene scowled, turning his back on Steve and facing Rhodey.

"You have a ninja called 'Steve'?" Rhodey raised one eyebrow.

"That's not the point!" Gene snapped. "What were we talking about? Oh yeah. My stepfather. Did you kill him?"

"..." Rhodey looked away.

"That's not an answer." Gene said. "Do you want me to say it slowly so that you understand?" He leaned closer to Rhodey. "Did you. Kill my. Stepfather?"

"I didn't mean to."

"So you did kill him then?"

"... Yes."

"See? That wasn't so hard." Gene said and kicked Rhodey in the shoulder. He landed on his back, and Gene pinned him down with a boot on his shoulder. "If I cared, I would have you killed right now. Luckily for you, I never did give a fuck about my stepfather, so I'm going to spare your life. I need help getting this ring anyway."

"I'm still not going to help you."

"That's what you think." Gene said. "You see, if I did care about my stepfather, I might be inclined to let you experience how it feels to lose someone you love. I don't care about my stepfather, but I lost my mother when I was younger. I think you should know what it's like to lose _your _mother."

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, I would. I nearly did once."

"..."

"It was that time you all left me and went to Mount St. Helens to find the eighth ring." Gene explained, pressing his boot harder into Rhodey's shoulder to make him listen. "I was snooping around the house, trying to find Tony's computer and she came home. I had to hide, but if she had found me I would've done it. I've learnt that my own life is more important than anyone else's. I would've killed your mother if I had to, Rhodes."

"You're a monster."

"Your words have no effect on me." Gene said. "Now, tell me what I want to know or I'm going to kill your mother."

Rhodey took a deep breath.

xXx

"We'll be there in fifteen minutes." Tony told his father through the helmet communication systems. "Be prepared for anything."

_"Tony, you need to relax."_ His father's voice said. _"Rhodey is going to be fine. I'm sure if there is a fight we can take Gene – we'll all go home together."_

"You haven't seen him use the rings." Tony sighed. "Once before... we were having a fight... it almost broke through my armour. I'm still trying to fix it completely. You can still see the cracks in it if you look really closely."

_"You gave me _everything_ that goes boom. I'm sure we can beat Gene."_

"Just try not to hit Rhodey." Tony joked, though his father knew he was being _deadly_ serious – he could tell by his tone of voice. "ETA: Ten minutes."

_"Tony?"_

"Yes?"

_"Stop worrying. Everything is going to be fine."_

_You can say that._ Tony thought to himself, grimacing. _You're not the one who was wrong. You're not the one who was lied to, and you haven't lied to everyone else. You're not the one who has to confront Gene._

xXx

"I'm not... telling you anything... about the next ring..." Rhodey said through gritted teeth, and spat blood out of his mouth. "You're a psycho... you've already got five of them, and look what they've done to you!"

"I'm sure your mother will see it that way when I kill her." Gene said coldly, staring down at Rhodey.

"NOT IF I KILL YOU FIRST!"

Gene's gaze snapped upwards just as something red slammed into him, knocking the breath from his lungs and sending him sprawling to the ground.

"It's Iron Man!" One of the ninjas said and glanced at another one of them.

"This isn't good..."

"Tong! Disappear and regroup!"

"COWARDS!" Gene yelled when the Tong disappeared. He tried to get back to his feet, but found Iron Man – no, Tony – standing over him. His helmet was open, and his eyes were full of fire as he aimed one of his repulsors straight at Gene. Gene reached for the rings around his neck, but Tony charged up the repulsor beam.

"Don't even think of it." Tony growled. "Don't even think of it, you _bastard..._"

"Tony, Tony I can explain –" Gene said quickly.

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" Tony yelled. "YOU LIED TO ME AGAIN!"

Gene threw his head back and laughed.

"And you were taken in by me again, Tony. It's so easy to make you believe me... it's so easy to lie to you about _anything..._"

Howard caught his son's arm and directed the repulsor blast away from the other teen on the ground.

"Tony, that's enough." Howard said firmly, lowering Tony's arm to his side. "That's enough – you don't want to kill him, Tony. You'll have to live with that for the rest of your life if you do. Let the proper authorities deal with it. I've called them and they're on their way now. We just have to make sure Gene doesn't escape."

"... Fine." Tony snatched his arm away from his father and walked over to Gene, who was scrabbling in the dust, trying to get away. He stopped when Tony approached, and looked up at him with pleading eyes.

Howard walked over to Rhodey and began to ask how the other boy was, untying his hands for him and helping to clean up some of the blood on his face.

"You're not going to kill me, are you?"

"No." Tony said, looking away. "But I am going to do this."

"What?"

Tony punched Gene in the chest, and there was a sickening crunch.

"You deserved that."

"You dick!" Gene gasped, clutching his side. "You just broke my ribs!"

"Do I look like I care?" Tony snarled. He reached down and pulled the string around Gene's neck, and snapped the rings off. "You don't need these where you're going."

There was a wailing of sirens in the distance.

"Tony –"

"No." Tony turned away from Gene.

"– I didn't lie about everything –"

"I don't care."

"– I never lied about my feelings for you –"

"I'm not listening."

"– And I still love you, Tony." Gene said. Tony stopped and turned around to face Gene. "You can't deny that you still feel something for me... you can't."

"I hate you."

"Tony –"

"Goodbye, Gene. You can find someone else to love you in prison. You'll be a real catch... hopefully for some big hairy guy with loads of tattoos. You'll be a great as his bitch, Gene." Tony turned away and walked over to Rhodey, who was being supported on his feet by Howard. Rhodey had a bloodstained tissue pressed against his lip and his face was set in a smile, much to Tony's surprise.

"Why are you so happy?" Tony frowned.

"Can I say it?" Rhodey asked, looking up at Howard.

"Sure." Howard nodded. "Just remember that Tony is armed with repulsors."

"What?" Tony asked, looking from his father to his best friend.

"I TOLD YOU SO!" Rhodey blurted. "I told you that Gene was dodgy from the start! I told you that he was crazy and I told you that he was bad news!"

"Are you done gloating yet?" Tony sighed.

"Nope! I'm only getting started!" Rhodey said. "Wait until I tell Pepper what's happened! She is going to be mad, Tony. MAD. She's probably going to kill you – she'll do worse to you than anyone else ever could. She'll do worse than just gloat! She'll –"

"Rhodey, shut up." Tony groaned. _She can't do worse than what Gene did. She can't break my heart. _He looked back at the other teen sitting on the dusty ground, and the police cars getting closer. _The worst thing is that I do still love him, no matter how much he's lied to me._

**End.**

**All comments and feedback are appreciated!**

**Thank you to everyone who has managed to stick with this story and my erratic updating.**

**I know a number of you were probably expecting a big fight scene, with lots of explosions and Gene and Tony going head to head, but I wasn't really feeling it for this chapter.**

**I hope you've all enjoyed reading it!**

**I Caught Myself :D**


End file.
